Girls and Bridle Ch. 08

"Haha! You like me! You like me and you got me good gears."

***

The sun was going down, but the damage was done and walking felt pointless. At this point, it now had more to do about defying death than finding a way back home. Moonlight supported Tiantang as much as she could, keeping her arm wrapped around her neck, but the Asian ponygirl wasn't helping much anymore.

The two women crashed on the abrasive sand next to a dry bush and some dusty rocks. There wasn't much more life out there in the desert than inside their chest.

"..."

"..."

"W... why?"

"..."

"... Why did you... do this to us... Tiang?"

"... Be... because..."

"... Why?"

"... Because... I love... you... and... I care..."

"... S... stop! Stop saying that!... It makes... no sense."

"... Moon... You... you are... the universe..."

"You are insane!... You know that?"

"... N...no... Ca... call upon it... You'll... see... Don't... fear. Don't fear."

"..."

"M...moon... Trust... me... You can... do... everything... If you... believe... in yourself. You are... better than... you think. So much... better..."

"... What... whatever! I'm done... talking... We are... dead."

"Haaa... Too bad... I... I would have... loved to see Xiuying again... My... my lover... She is... going to be so... mad at me... if I... die."

Moonlight rolled to her back painfully. A pointy rock stabbed her kidney, but she didn't even have the energy to react to the pain anymore. For many long minutes, she just looked at the darkening sky, thinking about nothing. She wasn't even mad at Tiantang Zhi Ma for having put her in this hopeless situation. It was irrational and weird. Why did she even include herself in this insane plan? Moonlight knew that Tiantang loved Xiu more than anything else in the world. So why would she put her life on the line? To teach her that she was the universe?... whatever that meant. It just made no sense.

But as she was trying to recover, her mind began to wander. Why was she here exactly? How did this happen? She lost a race badly. And then Sophie yelled at her. And then she yelled back at Sophie. Why? She liked Sophie. She liked Morning Star too. So how did that happen? What could have gone so wrong? Sophie had asked her what went wrong during that race, but Moonlight had never really answered and just accused her of not having given her enough freedom to run as she wanted.

It was a lie...

Such a lie...

The truth was... Moonlight didn't do anything that she had learned during her training. Instead, on the track, she decided to do whatever she wanted. But trying to go faster just made things worse. She threw Morning Star off balance during the whole race, not respecting the plan and not listening to Sophie, who was trying her best to control her.

And then... they lost. And that hurt a lot...

For Moonlight, who grew up with parents who had no pride in their daughter no matter how much she had tried to obtain some love from them, it was a big blow in the guts. It couldn't be her fault... It could only be everybody else's fault because people were idiots. It had to be that. All her life, they told her what to do and how, and she always thought she knew better.

But this failure on the track has been a painful wake-up call. Even if Sophie had scolded Morning Star after the race, Moonlight knew that she was solely responsible for the fiasco. It was all her fault. She knew she didn't give her teammate any chance to perform well.

"... Moonlight... she ran... all wrong..."

That was right... Those words from Morning Star after the race were the truth... She just didn't have the guts to admit it.

And now Moonlight was in the desert, dying. Why? It had to be related... But how... What did Tiang really try to teach her?

She extended her exhausted arm toward the now dark sky and circled one of the brightest stars with her fingers... It felt strange... a bit different than all the other times she had looked at them. What Tiang had told her about the universe and exploding stars was perhaps true but still very metaphorical.

Yet...

What would happen if she could actually call upon the universe? What would happen if she could harness the energy of the stars to get the strength to walk some more and find a way out of here?... Would they provide her with some well-needed guidance? What would actually happen if she were to believe Tiantang Zhi Ma, the wise Asian ponygirl? She seemed to know an awful lot about the universe.

Was this how Xiu and Tiang had found her in the first place? Did they call upon the universe, asking to find her? Or was it just a coincidence? Surely, if Tiantang had provided this obscure advice, it was likely because she believed in it herself.

What would happen to Moonlight if she started believing in the universe... in the stars... and above all else... in Tiantang... in Xiu... in Sophie... in Morning Star? All of them were part of her as per Tiantang's explanation.

What would happen then?

Moonlight closed her eyes... A light wind brushed against her excessively dry face... the overheated ground transferred its heat to her back... Her ears caught the noises of insects and the one of a coyote in the howling in the distance. The dry bush nearby sang her a song.

Why could she hear all of this all of a sudden? She had heard all those noises before, but it was different this time. It was not the noises and her... It was her and the noise, together. Her own breathing mixed with the cacophony of the night in a way that she had never experienced before as if she had oddly connected with her world.

In the back of her mind, a doubt... Was this happening because Tiang had suggested that this connection was possible, or was it because it was really happening? And did it happen when she had considered believing in the people that had been kind to her? Did she connect with all those people, too, just by opening her heart a little?

What had she done? A strong feeling of guilt cut deep inside her guts... Everything was connected to her now... and it was excruciating. She could feel her friends' despair.

Penny would lose her stable...

Sophie wouldn't be able to do what she loves anymore...

Morning Star wouldn't be able to run anymore...

Tiantang would die at her side...

Xiuying would never be able to see her lover again...

All of this was so wrong.

Stardust's stable... The pink ponies would undoubtedly win but without any feeling of pride. What would be the point of running without good opponents?

Those thoughts resonated inside her brain so loudly that it was unbearable.

***

Morning Star observed the end of the sunset at the stable while refreshing the markings inside her palm using the pen that Ivory had secretly given her. She smiled, knowing that everything would be alright. The white ponygirl had told her those words with such conviction. She had no fear and believed that nothing could go wrong, no matter how dark this moment was for Penny's stable. Ivory told her that the weight of the world wasn't on her sole shoulders.

"You are not alone."

***

"Tiang... Tiang... I'm here... I'm here now... You are not alone."

"I... I know... Moon..."

"Come on... Stand up. We are going."

"... W... where?..."

"Let's get out... of this desert now... Mmmph!"

Using all her remaining strength, Moonlight pulled Tiang up on her useless legs and wrapped her arm around her neck to support her. Somehow, the Asian ponygirl didn't seem as heavy as before.

"I'm not going to let you die here, Tiang. Xiuying would be too sad. She is waiting for you."

"... I... I know... she is.... she is... going to be... so mad... at me."

"Let's go this way."

"...Oh?... this way?... A different... direction?"

"Yes. See that bright star on the horizon... I don't know why... but I want to follow it for a while..."

"Aaaah... Yes... I love it too... It's a... pretty star."

"Good... Good... Do you know its name?"

"Oh yes... I do... I was born... there..."

"What is it?"

"Haha... It's called... the Morning Star!"

***

"AAAAH! CASSY! YOU ARE SO CUTE!"

Neigh!

With a bit between her teeth, she couldn't thank Hemlock and Nightshade for the compliment, but since their hands fondled her naked breast, it was probably not necessary.

Brittany had done an exceptional job as usual. Standing tall in the middle of the barn was Cassy, wearing a gorgeous forest green suit, a unique black harness made of very wide straps, exceptionally good-looking vintage pony boots with brand new leather laces, and a pretty bridle that didn't obstruct her beautiful overjoyed face one bit.

When Brittany finally released her ponies out so they could check Cassy out, it didn't take one second for the compliment to pour. The outfit was so different and so good-looking. Not bad for a kit put together at a very low cost.

But Brittany wasn't done. The final touch needed to be applied in front of everybody

"There... since you seemed to like it more than everything else in the world... Put that on your head."

Extending her arms to the maximum, the small trainer placed Cassy's beloved cowboy hat on top of her head. It was dirty, but she had no intention of cleaning it. Instead, it would be Cassy's special signature from now on. The pretty pony with the dusty cowboy hat.

Cassy ran in place, overjoyed by this last surprise. She wasn't a racer anymore, so hats were surely permitted. It would also do a good job at protecting her head from the harsh sun when she would be grooming the track before Hemlock and Nightshade's training. Or perhaps when she would pull a small trailer full of fresh water to cool them down after a long day of running. Also, Brittany told her that she had no intention of restraining her wrist since that kind of discipline wasn't necessary in her case. Cassy would get to be a pony AND help more with her hands as well.

Best day ever.

"Alright, guys. I'll let you have some fun. I'm going to prepare your food. It's already late. And then it's bedtime for me. Shopping with Cassy was more than exhausting."

Finding a way through her dancing ponygirls, Brittany left the barn with a sense of satisfaction. She had made her ponies happy, which meant they would perform well during the next race, and Cassy was now out of her hair.

On her way to the house, she paused for a moment, looking at the rising moon, and couldn't help but remember what had happened at the store and think about the mysterious object she had received from the weird store owner. This shouldn't have happened to her.

It was unfair and sad.

But...

It was also a privilege...

If what she believed in was true... It would be an experience of a lifetime. She would have a front-row seat to witness the impossible.

She took a deep breath and murmured a few words to herself...

"Moonlight... You fucking moron!"

***

"Alright, Morning Star. Time to go to the barn. You sleep in your stall tonight."

Sophie grabbed Morning Star's reins and slowly walked her in the direction of the barn. It was a very quiet evening, without worries or training. Despite their dire situation, a certain calm floated around the stable. It was as if nobody had yet processed what had happened at the exhibition race and were waiting for a clearer signal before freaking out. Penny's stable had never been so close to bankruptcy. But what should have felt like an inevitability had only translated to patience.

Morning Star stopped in the tracks.

"Hey! What are you doing? You almost dislocated my shoulder."

Morning Star fixated the horizon.

"What is it, Star? You saw a coyote?"

The black ponygirl began walking in the direction of the desert. Sophie just let the reins go, knowing that this was unusual behavior. It got her curious.

"Where are you going, Star?

Morning Star began to trot, quickly building some distance with her trainer.

"Hey! I don't want to run after you tonight! It's not funny! Come back. You are going to twist your ankle on a rock or something."

Of course, Sophie had no other choice but to chase her undisciplined runner, which wasn't an easy task with her short legs.

After about two hundred meters, Sophie finally reached her pony, who had stopped but had continued to look afar.

"Okay, you are scaring me now. What are you looking at? A ghost?"

Not taking the chance to lose her pony again, Sophie wrapped her hand around the reins without interfering with what Morning Star was doing. There must have been a reason for that behavior. For a moment, she scrutinized the desert... until...

A form... a creature, perhaps... appeared from behind a big rock...

Morning Star bolted like a cannonball toward it, almost ripping Sophie's arm off in the process. The small driver had to let her pony go once more.

"STAR! COME BACK!"

***

"NEVER DO THAT TO ME EVER AGAIN! YOU HEAR ME?"

"Hmmm... Too loud. But I still love you, Xiu."

"I... I love you too! You but you scared the hell out of me! I thought you were DEAD!"

In the guest bedroom of Penny's house, a pretty oriental ponygirl recovered slowly on the bed. It was morning already, but Tiantang was still in a complete state of exhaustion. She didn't even remember how she ended up in that bed. She must have passed out, and Moonlight had carried her all the way to this place.

As soon as Morning Star and Sophie had discovered them wandering aimlessly in the desert, they rescued them and provided them with critical care. Of course, they also called Xiu right away, who rushed to Penny's stable and spent the night watching over her unconscious lover.

But now that Tiantang had woken up, Xiuying couldn't do anything else but reprimand her.

"I thought you were dead this time."

"Close... but... you knew I would come back, right?"

"Yes, but... don't do it again, okay? One day, it's not going to end well."

"No, this was the last time. I found her... I found who I was looking for."

"Are... are you sure?"

"Yes... I am. When Moonlight awoke... It was... amazing."

***

Moonlight rested on her back, awake and silent. She still couldn't believe it. After a day and a half lost in the burning desert, she found this stable in the middle of nowhere, Penny's stable. The same one she had left on bad terms only two days ago. When she heard Morning Star's hooves closing in her position, she only had time to stare at her for a moment before passing out. The white star on Morning Star's leather headband had seemed way brighter than usual, like the one in the night sky that was carrying her name.

The bedroom door opened, and Penny stepped in, carrying a glass of milk and a small plate.

"Penny? I..."

"Shhh... Don't speak... It's all good."

The smell was unmistakable. Those were fresh cookies on the plate... Her favorite. Why did she have this weakness for this snack?

The older woman sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on Moonlight's stomach.

"So, Moonlight... We have another exhibition race next week. If I'm not mistaken, you love to run, right? Could it be something of interest to you?"

"... I..."

Why was this her first question? Was Penny not supposed to ask why she got lost in the desert instead? Was she not supposed to ask how she managed to find the stable in the middle of the night? Wouldn't she have to apologize first?

"... Y... Yes. I... I would love to."

"I'm glad to hear that, young one. Eat your snack, and when you are ready, you can go meet Sophie and Morning Star outside. They are certainly waiting for you."

After scratching her belly as a mother would do, Penny stood up and headed toward the exit.

"P... Penny?"

"Yes?"

"I will win this time... I promise!"

"Oh... I know you will. You don't need to convince me."

"You... you know?"

"Yes. I knew you were a winner the first time I laid eyes on you, Moonlight. You are a very special girl. And now, I think you may believe it too."

"..."

"Take your time, now... Your friends aren't going anywhere. They will wait for you for as long as they need to."